In the heart of downtown Amarillo, at the bustling Crush Wine Bar and Grill, former City Council member Mark Nair stood before a crowd on Aug. 26, launching a bold campaign for Congress in Texas’ 13th District.
With a “People First” agenda, Nair, a Democrat, aims to bring a fresh voice to a region long dominated by Republican control — a district so reliably red that incumbent Rep. Ronny Jackson ran unopposed in the 2024 election, securing his third term without a single challenger.
Nair, a 30-year Amarillo resident, inventor and educator, knows the odds are steep. The 13th District, stretching from the Panhandle to Denton, is a Republican stronghold rated R+26 by the Cook Political Report. In 2022, Jackson defeated Democrat Kathleen Brown with 75.4% of the vote — 161,562 votes to Brown’s 52,739 — a nearly 51-point margin. Yet Nair, undeterred, sees opportunity where others see impossibility.
“Yes, it’s a red district, but I don’t see red or blue,” he told supporters. “I see families struggling. I see communities that feel left out. That’s who I’m fighting for,” he said in an interview.
Weis introduction
Before Nair took the stage, Dr. Brian Weis, Amarillo Regional Dean of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine and former chief medical officer at Northwest Texas Healthcare System, introduced Nair. Weis, who returned to TTUHSC in 2023, said he has known Nair for years and described him as “probably the most intelligent human being you’ll ever meet” while also emphasizing his humility.
“That’s a fantastic combination,” Weis said. “We need someone who will listen to all sides and make choices that put people first, and I believe Mark is the right person to do that.”
Roots and values
Nair’s story is rooted in the Panhandle’s working-class ethos. Raised by parents who instilled “justice, honor and courage” and “resilience, dignity and grit,” he spoke of a childhood that wasn’t wealthy but was rich in values.
“My parents worked hard to give me and my siblings a middle-class life,” Nair said. “Those are the values I carry into this race.”
Now, as a husband, father and mentor to startups at the Texas Tech Innovation Hub and the National Science Foundation, Nair is driven by a belief that the American dream is slipping away.
“You are getting poorer every day,” he warned. “Medical care is too expensive, college is out of reach, and even the dream of owning a home is disappearing.”
Policy agenda
His platform is ambitious. Nair supports universal childcare, free community college, Medicare for All and affordable housing initiatives to counter Amarillo’s 20% rent spike between 2019 and 2023. He calls for water security to protect the depleting Ogallala Aquifer, expanded broadband in rural counties and immigration reform that pairs secure borders with a path to citizenship.
On his campaign website, Nair outlines a “People First” agenda that includes:
Economic Prosperity: Fighting tariff-driven inflation and strengthening the middle class “from the bottom up.”
Healthcare: Transparency in medical costs, expanded rural hospital funding and a pathway to universal coverage. Texas has lost more than 25 rural hospitals since 2010, several in the Panhandle.
Housing: Incentivizing affordable housing in underserved areas, restricting corporate buyouts of single-family homes, and protecting renters.
Water and Farming: Federal support for clean water infrastructure, aquifer replenishment and sustainable agriculture.
Education: Universal early childhood programs, student loan forgiveness and free community college.
Immigration: A path to citizenship for law-abiding families, protection for DREAMers, and an end to for-profit detention centers alongside strengthened border security.
Leadership and Ethics: Term limits, a ban on congressional stock trading and stricter ethics rules.
Privacy and Connectivity: Consumer data protections and expanded rural broadband access.
“This campaign is about putting you first,” Nair said. “It’s not the billionaires. It’s not the politicians they corrupt. It’s the people. I will fight for your freedom, your future and your opportunities.”
District history and contrast
Jackson’s 2024 walkover wasn’t his first show of dominance. Since succeeding longtime Rep. Mac Thornberry in 2020, the former White House physician has leveraged the district’s deep-red leanings, winning nearly 80% of the vote in his first election and securing reelection in 2022 by a landslide.
But Nair argues Jackson’s absence — rare town halls and a perceived disconnect from constituents — has left a void.
“He doesn’t show up,” Nair said. “When people don’t see their representative, they stop believing their voice matters.”
Jackson, who has aligned closely with former President Donald Trump, sits on the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees and has pushed for stronger border security. He has not commented on Nair’s candidacy at this time.
A long-shot candidacy
The district has not elected a Democrat since the early 1990s, and redistricting has only deepened its conservative tilt. Still, the addition of portions of Denton County — an area trending more Democratic — could give Nair a narrow opening.
Nair is betting on grassroots momentum, a strategy rooted in his 2015–17 tenure on the Amarillo City Council, where he championed underserved neighborhoods and transparency. He has pledged to hold frequent town halls if elected, saying accountability is the cornerstone of his campaign.
“This campaign is about people, not parties,” he said. “Together, we can put people first in every decision that comes out of Washington.”
With the 2026 primaries looming, Nair faces an uphill climb in one of America’s most conservative districts. But for voters who feel unheard, his candidacy offers a rare alternative.
In a district where Jackson faced no opposition in 2024, Nair’s run is a call to action — a challenge to political silence. Whether he can turn that message into votes remains uncertain. For now, Mark Nair says he’s ready to fight.
More information about his campaign is available at marknair.com.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Mark Nair announces run for Congress in Texas’ 13th District
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